For the first time in its history, Kent State University at Trumbull hosted a White Coat Ceremony for students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Held Tuesday, on the first day of spring classes, the ceremony is a rite of passage for medical and nursing students in their journey toward a career in healthcare.
A total of 30 students who are beginning the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program participated in the inaugural ceremony, wearing a white lab coat and taking an oath that signifies their transition into the field.
“It’s a huge moment when they put that uniform on and put that white coat on and go out and practice at clinical in the community, so it’s a great opportunity to remind them of their professional responsibilities as a nurse,” said Gina Severino, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, professor and coordinator of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Kent State Trumbull, in an interview with WFMJ-TV in Youngstown.
For sophomore nursing student Marissa Baker, the ceremony was a great event that inspired and acknowledged the nursing students in the program.
“It kind of shows what to expect for the ceremony when we actually graduate, but it just gives us a little bit more motivation to keep doing what we’re doing,” Baker told the TV station. “It’s an amazing experience to be recognized even as sophomores.”
For more information about the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Kent State Trumbull, visit www.kent.edu/trumbull/bachelor-science-nursing.
Watch the WFMJ-TV story: